Wire reel



sept. 2, 1941.- R. PRANG 2,254,977

WIRE REEL Filed Aug. 15, 1940 fiudozph Fra/ng Patented Sept. 2, 1941 TENT oFFicE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a reel for winding and unwinding wire and more particularly for winding and unwinding barbed Wire.

It is a primary aim of the invention to provide a reel of simple construction adapted to be removably and rotatably mounted on a rod or pipe and having means whereby a roll of wire may vbe readily removed therefrom, after being wound thereon or whereby a roll of wire may be readily applied thereto for unwinding the roll.

Still another aim of the invention is to provide a reel having means for varying the diameter thereof for adap-ting it to rolls of Wire having openings of different sizes and more particularly to permit placing a roll of Wire on the reel which has been removed therefrom for some time so that the opening, in the roll, has become restricted so that it will not fit a reel as large in diameter as the one on which it was wound.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the reel applied to a pipe or rod attached to the rear end of a truck body,

Figure 2 is an end view in elevation of the reel,

Figure 3 is a Vertical sectional view, on an enlarged Scale, taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2',

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, ii) designates generally a portion of the rear end of a truck body to which is connected a plurality of eyebolts 1'1 which are disposed in spaced apart, alined relationship relatively to one another for receiving a rod or pipe 12, one end of which extends beyond the body 10.

A winding and unwinding reel, designated generally 13, includes a hub 14 which is removably i stantially parallel relationship. A bar 1'1 has one end disposed in each of the pairs of ribs 16. Each of the bars 1'1 is connected to the flange 15 by means of a bolt and nut fastening 18 which extends through alined openings 19 in the fiange 15 and bar 1'1. The fastenings 18 combine with the ribs 16 to prevent the bars 1'1 from turning relatively to the fiange 15. As best seen in Figure 2, the bars 1"1 project radially from the fiange i and are disposed substantially equal distances apart and are preferably four in number to form a cross.

The bars 1'1, adjacent their secured ends, are provided with longitudinally spaced, correspondingly positioned openings 20. Four corresponding rods 24 are each provided with a threaded end 22 to loosely engage a corresponding opening 20. The ends 22 each carry a pair of nuts 23 which areadapted to be disposed, one on each side of a bar 1'1 for clamping the rod 2| thereto. The opposite, free ends 24 of the rods 21 are curved to extend outwardly to form one end of the reel 13, the opposite end of whichl is formed by the outer ends of the bars 1'1, and the intermediate portion of which is formed by the portions of the rods 2| between the threaded ends 22 and the curved ends 24.

One of the bars 1'1 is provided with an opening 25 adjacent its outer end to receive the shank end of a bolt 26 on the shank of which is mounted a sleeve 2'1 which is disposed between said bar 1'1 and the head of the bolt. A nut 28 is attached to the threaded shank end of the bolt 26 to detachably connect the bolt and sleeve to said bar 11. The sleeve 2'1 is turnably mounted on the bolt 26 and combines therewith to form a handle, designated generally 29, which combines with the bar 1'1 to which it is connected to form a crank for revolving the reel 13.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the reel 13 may be readily removed from or applied to the extended end of a pipe or rod 12. For winding wire or barbed Wire on the reel 13, the rods 21 are positioned in the outer openings 20 and clamped by their nuts 23 so that their curved ends 24 will extend outwardly, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. With the reel thus assembled it will be obvious that while barbed wire may be readily wound thereon to form a roll after which the outer nuts 23 may be loosened to permit the rods 21 to be turned relatively to the bars 1 '1 so that their curved ends 24 will be directed inwardly to permit the roll to be removed from the reel 1'3 after the reel has been removed from the rod or pipe 12. A roll of Wire may be applied to the reel |3 when the ends 24 are turned inwardly after which the rods 2| are turned to swing the ends 24 outwardly and 'then clamped in this position by tightening the outer nuts 23. The reel |3 may be then applied to the rod or pipe |2 and turned by the handle 29 for unwinding the roll of Wire therefrom. After a roll of Wire has been left standing for a period the opening thereof will contract so that itwill be too small to engage the rods 2| when they are in the same positions as When the roll was wound thereon. In order to adapt the reel |3 to fit the roll having a restricted opening, not shown, the rods 2| are removed from the bars I'l and applied to the inner openings 2|] thereof to reduce the diameter of the reel |3.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as.

only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I elaim as my invention:

1. A reel comprising a shaft fixed to a vehicle and having a free end extending beyond an end thereof, a hub rotatably and removably mounted on said' free end of said shaft, said hub having an annular flange, a plurality of bars each se- Acured at onev of its ends to said fiange and projecting radially therefrom, said bars having correspondingly disposed longitudinally spaced apertures adjacent their secured ends, a plurality of rods each having a threaded end for selectively engaging either of said apertures of one of the bars, a pair of nuts mounted on the threaded ends of each of the rods for clamping the rods to the bars, said rods having opposite, outwardly curved ends extending toward the Opposite, secured end of the shaft.

2. A reel oomprising a stationary shaft having a secured end and a free end, a hub rotatably and removably mounted on the free end of the shaft, a plurality of bars secured to and projecting radially from the hub and forming one end of the reel, means for clamping the corresponding ends of a plurality of rods to the bars, said bars having longitudinally spaced openings for selectively receiving the rods for adjusting the positions of the rods longitudinally of the bars for varying the diameter of the reel, said rods being disposed transversely to the bars and extending therefrom in the same direction and toward the secured end of the shaft, and said rods having outwardly curved free ends forming the opposite end of the reel.

3. A device as in claim 2, comprising a handle detachably connected to the outer end of one of the bars and extending transversely therefrom in the opposite direction to the rods, said handle forming with said bar a crank for revolvingn the reel.

RUDOLPI-I PRANG. 

